A five-year-old boy has tragically died after being hit by a falling tree while playing near a creek in Kansas City's Northland. Vince Kellerman was playing near the Line Creek Trail on May 27 when the tree fell on him.
Vince, who was due to start kindergarten soon, was on the trail near the intersection of Northwest 68th Street and Northwest Waukomis Drive. He was rushed to Children's Mercy Hospital and placed on life support, but was taken off on Sunday, according to police.
A woman who reported the incident told local outlet FOX4 that the falling tree sounded like 'a bomb going off.' Local residents suggested the incident may have been caused by recent storms, with one saying, 'There's a lot of tree limbs that have fallen before. There's a whole bunch of trees like right back here, so I can imagine a weaker tree just toppling over at some point.'
Vince is remembered by his family as a 'character beyond his years,' who was 'smart, kind, loving, and truly magnetic.' His aunt, Sandy Nguyen, described him as having a 'bright smile and affectionate hugs' that 'lit up every room he entered.' He leaves behind his younger brother Silas, with whom he loved to play outdoors.
A GoFundMe page set up by Nguyen to cover funeral costs has raised over £27,560. She wrote: 'From the beginning, Vince’s parents, Kathy and James, have given him the most unconditional love and raised him to enjoy exploring the world around him.'
